Couple of British makers to look out for. Stuart Smith, last I saw he made hunter, bushy style outdoor knives with a nice clean, classic look to them. Guy Stanthorp, outdoors and hunting knives with a tactical twist, once had the pleasure of owning one of his. Owen Wilson, more seax type blades but awesome work. Alan Wood if you can find and afford one.
Off the shelf, look at Fallkniven, Ive seen an F1 being battoned through a 6" nail and brick in one go without any damage.
Spyderco, serrata uses the original custom design of investment cast stainless steel and gives a awesome knife, if you can get your hands on a original Zackerty serrata before spyderco bought the design grab it and never let go...
The list can go on forever and lots of people will tell you loads of different things so research is key and knowing what you expect from the blade. Also hold as many as you can get your mitts on so you can get a feel for the knive you are looking for.
Ooo as a side note esee knives are worth a look too, I had a 3 and its almost indistructable and comes with a lifetime guarantee, its one of the only brands you can customise and not loose your guarantee...